The book of Acts in the Bible is reliable history. It is also reliable theology. Together, Acts is Theological History. Those who reject it do so for reasons other than academic honesty. 

By Mark D. Harris

Modern historiography, almost regardless of the topic, has a standard framework.  Whether describing a person’s life or describing an event or series of events, the modern historian will write chronologically; things that happened earlier in time will occur earlier in the article or book. Certain elements are also usually present.  A biography, for example, will almost invariably contain a chapter about the subject’s family and background, another about his birth and childhood, both early in the book, several chapters about his life’s work and contribution in the middle and then a chapter about his death at the end.   Modern authors carefully specify when and where events happened so that readers can associate what they are reading with other people and events.  Ancient history is more likely to be thematic and dialectic than modern history, and less willing to sacrifice theme for chronology.

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